Yasinskas Bucs Have Taken 437 Steps Back

by Staff Report on November 20, 2009

Bradley Handwerger, of WWLTV.com – Louisiana’s News Leader contacted Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com to gain some insight into this coming Sundays matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while nothing, that either scribe said was earth shattering or breaking news. It would appear that one of the Saints secondary players, namely Darren Sharper, according to Handwerger, was surprised at just how quick Josh Freeman’s release is after studying film.

He hasn’t played poorly in the first two. After watching film, safety Darren Sharper said the rookie has a quick release. What can the Saints defense do to make him uncomfortable?

The talking head from ESPN, did elude to the fact he thought the team has taken 437 steps back and went too far in gutting the team and thinks it would have been a good idea if the team had kept aging outside linebacker Derrick Brooks around, if for nothing else other then his veteran leadership and positive locker room influence.

PY: “I understand them deciding to go with the youth movement and I think, in theory, it was a good move. Jon Gruden had just been patching things up with veterans in recent years and the Bucs had gotten in a rut of being average and not having a long-term plan. They realized they had to take two steps back to eventually take a step forward.

“But I think they took about 437 steps back and went too far in gutting this team. I think they could have rebuilt a little more gradually and it would have been a good idea to keep linebacker Derrick Brooks around for one more yeart to ease the transition. Brooks might have been slowing down, but he was a positive influence in the locker room. The Bucs really miss his leadership because they don’t have much, if any, in their locker room right now.